The Sleepless Ape: How Shorter Sleep Sparked Human Evolution | Dr. David R. Samson | Ep. 41

Why do humans sleep less than any other primate on Earth, yet possess the largest brains and highest cognitive abilities? In this episode of In Vivo, evolutionary biologist Dr. David Sampson joins the show to unpack the fascinating paradox of human sleep. We dive deep into his immersive fieldwork with the Hadza tribe, the neural mechanics of how your brain flushes out toxins at night, and why our modern obsession with sleep deprivation might be missing the true biological anchor: our circadian rhythm. Dr. David Sampson is an Associate Professor at the University of Toronto Mississauga and the director of the Shell Sleep and Human Evolution Lab. He is also the author of the groundbreaking book, The Sleepless Ape. Dr. Samson's lab - https://www.utm.utoronto.ca/shel/Dr. Samson's wesbsite - https://davidrsamson.com/Buy 'The Sleepless Ape' - https://a.co/d/09qP1pxdDr. Samson on X - https://x.com/PrimalprimateIn Vivo on X - https://x.com/InVivoPodOnXIn Vivo on Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@InVivoPodcastIn Vivo on Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-vivo/id1775578563In Vivo on Amazon Podcasts - https://music.amazon.ca/podcasts/1ac4dbec-df46-4d1f-b0a1-742e9656ef44/in-vivo